Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A mob armed with machetes and arrows stormed a police district headquarters in Pegunungan Bintang, setting the building and several vehicles ablaze after claims that police beat an intoxicated man set-off a wave of anti-police sentiment in this conflict-prone region.

Police said they were powerless as hundreds of local residents rampaged through the police compound, torching motorbikes and vehicles in a short-lived but violent attack. The mob arrived around 11 a.m. local time on Sunday. They disbursed a short time later, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said.

"Aside from the district police office, they also attacked cars belonging to the [Pegunungan Bintang] police chief and his deputy, as well as a patrol car," Sumerta said. "They also attacked 25 motorcycles parked around the police headquarters compound. "We don't know [the financial] losses from this attack yet."

The Indonesian news portal Tempo.co reported that several police officers were injured in the attack. It was not immediately clear whether the attackers were also injured. The situation was back under control Sunday evening, Sumerta said.

The violence was reportedly set-off by accusations that police assaulted a drunk man during his arrest.

"They reportedly got information that First Brig. A. K. arrested a drunk man, who had resisted the arrest, which led to a fight before the drunk person was tackled," Sumerta said. "Because of the fight, the drunk man sustained bruises and people thought the police member had assaulted him, which caused them to be angry and commit the anarchic action."